Four Redlands friends to take on the Mongol Rally for charity

Team Mustache Ride is composed of four friends from Redlands who will set out on a hairy summer adventure to participate in the Mongol Rally. They will fly to England and purchase a car, (which can have only a 1.2-liter engine) then drive 10,000 miles to Mongolia.

After about a monthlong 10,000-mile journey, they will auction off their car in Mongolia with proceedsgoing to charity. Theteam is supporting the Lotus Children's Centre, a Mongolian non-profit, non-government organization working with children and families to provide shelter, food and education. They care for up to 150 abused, orphaned and abandoned children at any one time.

All except one currently live in Redlands and work at ESRI. The daring foursome includes James MacKay, a Nova Scotia native who used to live in Redlands and now lives in Australia; David Raleigh, originally from the Bay Area; Jonathan Murphy, originally from Nova Scotia; and Peter Adams, originally from Wakefield, Yorkshire.

MacKay and Adams were the masterminds behindthis road trip for charity. They have been hosting fundraising parties such as the "Stache for Cash," where anyone in attendance sporting a mustache donated $2.

To offset costs, there is a fundraising package in the works that will be delivered to local businesses in hopes of gaining sponsors and donations.

According to the Mustache Ride website, the team members are staring down a stack of daunting expenses in their dream to partake in the Mongol Rally: a vehicle (along with the registration and insurance), travel visas, travel insurance, flight to England, flight from Mongolia, equipment and gear, fuel, repairs, food and accommodation. The team plans to attach a mustache to their car.

While making this journey, the team will take pictures and shoot video to possibly turn into a documentary.

"I am learning a lot about social media and marketing," said Adams. "It is very eye opening. I am excited about the challenges, this is kind of like a social experiment."

Hundreds of teams will participate. They are to gussy up their cars in ridiculous and bizarre fashions to start their journeys to Ulaanbataar, the capital of Mongolia.

"This is an awesome combo of adventure, charity and creativity. To be out there and to drive 10,000 miles in an overstuffed car full of men, is very freeing," Raleigh said. "We would love to have as many friend requests on Facebook as possible. This will be an amazing journey to support or just follow, and we would love to share it with people from around the world."

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